Brexit & Chemicals

People and wildlife in the UK are currently protected from harmful chemicals by the most sophisticated regulation system in the world – the EU ‘s chemical regulation, REACH.

Source: Rlevente, Wikimedia

On 22nd June 2016 the UK voted in a referendum to leave the EU. The process of leaving the EU – Brexit – presents many risks for environmental and other regulation in the UK.

In CHEM Trust’s view the UK should aim to stay as close as possible to REACH, for example including it in any Free Trade Agreement negotiated with the rest of the EU. We consider that any new regulatory system would be expensive to create and would be very unlikely to provide the same level of protection of public and the environment.

It is vital that a post-Brexit Britain continues to have an effective system to protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals, such as those that can accumulate in our bodies or disrupt our hormones.

A ChemSec webinar presentation aimed at businesses by CHEM Trust Executive Director, Michael Warhurst, on Brexit and Chemicals, in July 2017. The video of the webinar is available here, the presentation is available as a powerpoint or a pdf.